Wednesday, August 8, 2012

EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty

EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty: "All societies reward conformity. Yes, there's often a sweet niche for eccentric geniuses. But everyone else faces a stark trade-off: the more you want to succeed, the more you have to submit to social norms.

On an emotional level, this upsets me; why should sheep inherit the earth? Intellectually, though, I have to admit that conformity is crucial for human cooperation. You can't run a business where everyone "does his own thing.""